Keely Hodgkinson Expresses Confidence in Breaking 800m World Record After Stellar 2024 Season

Following a remarkable 2024 season, culminating in her recognition as BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson expressed that she feels “pretty close” to surpassing the 800m world record. She is the fourth consecutive woman to receive this award. At Paris 2024, Hodgkinson secured her first global title, making her Team GB’s initial Olympic track champion since Sir Mo Farah achieved a 5,000m and 10,000m double at Rio 2016. The 22-year-old athlete additionally defended her European title in Rome and lowered her British women’s record to one minute 54.61 seconds, a performance surpassed by only five athletes historically. Her coaches, Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, recipients of the Coach of the Year award, indicated their intention to pursue both world indoor and outdoor gold medals next year, prior to attempting to break the sport’s longest-standing record in 2026. Forty-one years have passed since Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova achieved a time of 1:53.28 in 1983. Hodgkinson also plans to aim for Jolanda Ceplak’s world indoor record of 1:55.82 at the ‘Keely Klassic’ event, scheduled for Birmingham in February. “I’m not afraid to put my goals out there,” Hodgkinson stated. She secured the Sports Personality of the Year public vote, surpassing darts star Luke Littler and cricketer Joe Root. “I’m pretty close [to the world record], I would like to think. I have seen this year what my body is capable of and I’m excited to push on.” She added, “That world record is something I will always have in the back of my head. But I have so many years to get stronger so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.” Hodgkinson further commented, “I trust in Trevor and Jenny a lot. I know what shape I’m in before I step on the start line. It all depends if it comes together and that can depend on many things in athletics.” Hodgkinson had previously secured second place at consecutive World Championships, following her impressive silver medal win during her Olympic debut as a teenager in Tokyo three years prior. However, after pledging not to accept second place on such a platform again, having been defeated by Kenya’s Mary Moraa in Budapest in 2023, she became only the 10th British woman to achieve athletics gold at a Games in Paris. Meadows, an 800m world bronze medallist who is coached by her husband Painter, commented: “Keely is an incredible athlete and I know that it’s still the beginning for her.” She continued, “She has huge ambitions in the sport and she wont stop until she’s at least won another one in LA and even beyond that.” Meadows added, “It’s really exciting we now feel like we know how to get those records indoor and outdoor. “For 2025,the big aim is to win the world indoors and world outdoors. Get the two global titles, that is the big aim. “Then we think 2026 is the right time to go for the outdoor record. Physically we know she can run 1.53 something in 2025 and then we will push on from there.” Keely Hodgkinson maintained an undefeated streak across nine 800m races throughout 2024. During another exceptional season, Hodgkinson remained undefeated over two laps and overcame illness to successfully defend her European title, which had been her inaugural major outdoor title in 2022. Her enhanced British record set at the London Diamond League in July served not only as an affirmation of her readiness for a higher podium finish in Paris but also positioned Kratochvilova’s previously unbroken record well within her grasp. Painter stated: “We are always going to push those boundaries and try to get the world records, whether indoor or out. “Whether it happens in 2025 we will have to wait and see, but we will do our best to get it.” Following a minor hamstring injury that concluded her 2024 season prematurely, preventing her from defending her Diamond League title, Hodgkinson resumed training in South Africa in recent weeks. Despite acknowledging mental challenges after the unprecedented success of her inaugural Games in Tokyo, her resolve remains steadfast as she prepares to pursue further historical achievements and, “in her own words,” establish herself as one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes. The World Indoor Championships are scheduled for Nanjing, China, in March, with the outdoor gold medal contested in Tokyo in September. Prior to these events, Hodgkinson aims to break the world indoor record—established by Ceplak on the day the Briton was born—at her dedicated event at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena on 15 February. “I think this year I have found a real joy in competing,” Hodgkinson remarked. “I just loved London [Diamond League] so much, I loved Prefontaine [Classic], I loved Paris.” She continued, “I have loved being in front of a crowd, putting on a performance, having people behind me and winning for them. “So I am just looking forward to continuing in that way.”